FIFA World Cup 26™ isn’t just a tournament—it’s a global spectacle that transforms host cities, draws fans from every corner of the world and creates once-in-a-generation moments. And this summer, Atlanta will be at the center of it all. Whether you’re a die-hard soccer fan or simply curious about what the buzz means for the metro area, this guide breaks down what you need to know about this spectacular event and what will happen in the ATL.

How did Atlanta become a host city?

Atlanta’s path to hosting matches in the FIFA World Cup was years in the making. The Atlanta Sports Council, a division of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, along with city officials and civic leaders, led the competitive bid process, which included the FIFA committee evaluating a number of North American cities across the United States, Canada and Mexico. In addition to Atlanta’s history as host of the 1996 Olympic Games, as well as major sporting events like four Super Bowls, four NCAA Men’s Final Four tournaments and the 2018 MLS Cup final, the city had a significant edge thanks to its infrastructure, access to a major international airport, ample hotel accommodations, solid business ecosystem and state-of-the-art Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

In June of 2022, Atlanta was named as a host city in a global televised announcement. In early 2024, FIFA revealed that the city would welcome eight matches, including five group games, a Round of 32, a Round of 16 and a semifinal. And on December 6, 2024, Atlanta learned the schedule for its eight matches, which will take place between Monday, June 15, and Wednesday, July 15, 2026.

Atlanta's FIFA World Cup Match Schedule

Teams from around the world will descend upon Atlanta over the course of four weeks this summer to compete for soccer’s biggest title. Here is the match schedule, with games being played at the temporarily renamed Atlanta Stadium:

• June 15: Group Stage (Spain vs. Cape Verde)
• June 18: Group Stage (South Africa vs. UEFA Playoff Winner D)
• June 21: Group Stage (Spain vs. Saudi Arabia)
• June 24: Group Stage (Morocco vs. Haiti)
• June 27: Group Stage (Uzbekistan vs. FIFA Playoff Winner 1)
• July 1: Round of 32 (Match 80)
• July 7: Round of 16 (Match 95)
• July 15: Semifinal (Match 102)

For the Fans

During the month-long FIFA World Cup event, Atlanta will turn Centennial Olympic Park into a bona fide celebration zone, hosting the FIFA Fan Festival™. The City of Atlanta and the Georgia World Congress Center Authority are collaborating to present the fan-centric event, which will be open for 20 days and allow visitors to watch live match broadcasts on giant outdoor screens, enjoy live music and performances, visit interactive exhibits, taste local food and beverages and much more. The festival is free and open to the public and will mark 30 years since the city welcomed global visitors to the exact same spot for the Summer Olympic Games in 1996.

Did you know?

This isn’t Atlanta’s first brush with FIFA World Cup glory. In fact, Atlanta hosted six games for FIFA World Cup 2025, with Mercedes-Benz Stadium being the backdrop for six Round of 16 matches, including the quarterfinal between Paris Saint Germain and Bayern Munich.

Coca-Cola: All eyes on a Hometown Favorite

During the FIFA World Cup, more than five billion people from around the world will have their eyes on the eight matches played at Atlanta Stadium. And as they watch the people in the stands, as well as those surrounding the stadium, they’ll see people enjoying ice cold Coca-Cola products. That’s because the Coca-Cola Company is the global exclusive non-alcoholic beverage sponsor of the tournament.

“We want to make sure that we help this city shine,” says Jake Powell, director of operational marketing, east region, for the Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Inc. “We are very fortunate to have our corporate headquarters in the host city for eight of the matches, including one of the semifinals, which is huge. All of the corporate sponsors are working with the city to elevate what they are doing and ensure that everyone traveling to and through Atlanta will be impressed.”

Coca-Cola’s collaboration with FIFA was crafted outside of Atlanta’s effort to secure the World Cup tournament. The company’s global sports marketing team regularly works to bring Coke to a wide array of sporting events, and the World Cup was a perfect fit. What’s more, the company has ample game day operations experience at the stadium (which is already a Coke-exclusive facility), having been part of Super Bowls, the SEC Championships, the Taylor Swift concert and more.

With the FIFA World Cup sponsorship, Coca-Cola promotions will be seen throughout the city not only at FIFA-presented events, but also via the company’s retail partners like Kroger, Publix and Walmart. CocaCola also has exclusive worldwide rights to organize the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour, which brings the original solid gold FIFA World Cup Trophy directly to fans in cities around the world; the tour began on January 3 in Saudi Arabia and will visit all 16 host cities, including Atlanta on May 15 and 16.

“This is a great opportunity to highlight what Atlanta is capable of. We are an attractive city with so many corporations, international travel opportunities, a fantastic business community and more. The World Cup is just going to amplify that,” Powell concludes. “And when you think about the emotion that people have around events like this, we want to be the brand associated with those experiences. When people share their memories of the matches they watched, eating a hot dog and drinking a Coca-Cola, that is so important to us. It’s just great.”